Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch will not be successful in the market. Qualcomm Toq smartwatch may find takers, said IHS.
The research agency cited several reasons for its prediction.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch exhibits multiple shortcomings, including a high price tag, a short battery life, its status as a companion device and its limited compatibility, said Ian Fogg, director for mobile and telecoms at IHS.
The bottom line is the Galaxy Gear smartwatch probably will not succeed in the market and Samsung will need to try again with a more refined product.
At a price of $299, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch is more expensive than many smartphones. This will limit the product’s appeal in the market.
The battery life of the device is only 25 hours, meaning it will require recharging every day. The smartwatch is also too large to appeal to users expecting a device in a wristwatch form factor.
Most importantly, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch is compatible only with Samsung’s newly-announced Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and Note 10.1 tablet.
With the Galaxy Gear smartwatch intended to operate as a companion device for smartphones or tablets, this limited compatibility relegates the product to a small subset of the much larger potential market.
Global smartwatch shipments are expected to amount to 268,000 in 2013, said IHS.
In 2014, smartwatch shipments will reach 2.6 million units.
Smartwatch shipments will increase to nearly 39 million units in 2018.
IHS says uptake will be constrained if the smartwatch simply serves as a second display for a smartphone, because there already is significant competition from dedicated devices serving performance-monitoring products. To achieve its market potential, the smartwatch must work as a standalone device, with features that are compatible with the wristwatch form factor.
Global smartwatch shipments are expected to amount to 268,000 in 2013, said IHS.
In 2014, smartwatch shipments will reach 2.6 million units.
Smartwatch shipments will increase to nearly 39 million units in 2018.
On Wednesday, wireless chip giant Qualcomm also announced its Toq smartwatch, which is intended to act as an accessory product, serving as a second screen for a smartphone.
Qualcomm noted the advantages of this approach, including an always on capability, a less intrusive user experience compared to taking out a smartphone, the addition of a sunlight readable display and smartphone power savings by minimizing the number of times a user turns on the display for many common tasks.
“The Toq appears to be a compelling and easy-to-use product, which is causing a great deal of excitement among developers,” said Francis Sideco, director for consumer electronics and communications technologies at IHS.
Qualcomm will release a Qualcomm branded smartwatch in Q4 of 2013. Qualcomm Toq smartwatch will feature Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Qualcomm Mirasol display technology, wireless charging by Qualcomm WiPower LE technology.
However, the key for Qualcomm is whether it can leverage these features to achieve large-scale adoption. Cost will be the critical factor here—and since Qualcomm has not provided any pricing guidance, it’s unclear whether the product will hit a price point that will be appealing to consumers.
